How to apply for Principal Software Engineer

About Workiva

Workiva is a leader in integrated ESG reporting, helping organizations streamline climate impact and compliance. Their focus on innovation and remote-first culture makes them an attractive employer for engineers seeking impactful work.

About the role

As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll drive technical strategy for platform modernization and AI-driven systems, partnering with teams to deliver scalable solutions. Your work will directly influence product evolution and new initiatives, making a significant impact on the company's direction.

A typical day

Your day might start with a standup with your engineering team to align on platform modernization goals, followed by designing an AI-driven validation layer for a new feature. After lunch, you could mentor a Staff engineer on architectural trade-offs, then review a cross-team API design for scalability.

Who Workiva is looking for

• Experienced in scaling complex systems with strong architectural judgment across distributed systems, APIs, and platform design.
• Proven track record of using AI as a primary development collaborator, with a high quality bar for AI-assisted code.
• A mentor who raises the technical bar for Staff+ engineers and aligns technical decisions with business outcomes.
• Comfortable defining and driving technical strategy across large, multi-team initiatives, focusing on clean interfaces and scalability.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific examples of AI-assisted development workflows you've implemented, including guardrails and validation layers.
• Showcase your experience with platform modernization and how you've balanced technical debt with new product bets.
• Quantify the impact of your architectural decisions on scalability and business outcomes.
• Mention remote collaboration tools and practices you've used to lead distributed engineering teams.
• Tailor your resume to emphasize clean interface design and multi-team initiative leadership.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience with AI-driven engineering workflows and how they improve software quality and velocity.', 'Concrete examples of leading platform modernization initiatives that improved scalability and developer productivity.', 'How you mentor senior engineers and raise the technical bar across teams.', "Alignment with Workiva's mission of transparent ESG reporting and your interest in climate impact."]

Research before applying

• Understand Workiva's ESG reporting platform and how it integrates with clients' existing systems.
• Review Workiva's engineering blog or public talks to grasp their technical culture and AI adoption.
• Familiarize yourself with their remote-first practices and how they foster collaboration across time zones.
• Check recent news or case studies about their climate impact and compliance solutions.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Describe a time you designed an AI-driven system with guardrails for autonomous engineering workflows.
• How do you approach platform modernization while maintaining product evolution and new feature delivery?
• Explain your experience with distributed systems and how you ensure clean interfaces and scalability.
• How do you mentor Staff+ engineers and what metrics do you use to measure technical bar improvement?
• Discuss a complex technical strategy you defined across multiple teams and how you aligned it with business outcomes.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Avoid generic AI buzzwords without concrete examples of AI collaboration in your workflow.
• Don't overlook the importance of ESG or climate impact; show genuine interest in the company's mission.
• Avoid focusing only on individual contributions; emphasize leadership, mentorship, and strategic influence.